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Winter Anime 2015 |OT| ZA WARUDO is not square!

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firehawk12

Subete no aware
Guess its good I never imported in ._.
Yeah, if you go through even rough Google translations of Amazon reviews, you can tell that the people were pissed. They called it basically a callous cash grab and told people to play the mobile game instead. lol

I'm not really sure how to even talk about this week's Yurikuma Arashi without spoiling the episode (or just saying really empty words to avoid spoilers), but it was really good. The show continues to gain in confidence, and I feel like with each episode more of Ikuhara's style comes out. The show has ultimately turned into something which I feel is quite remarkable, and everyone should check it out at some point.
I've been keeping up, but I mean, the last 8 episodes have been mostly plot with very little ideas being expressed. I have to wonder what themes about love are being expressed behind all the shocking plot revelations that are being... well, revealed every week.
 
Magi S2 - 03

I found the whole part where Alibaba is listening in on the others, after imagining a perfect scenario in his mind hilarious. The reactions and his thought of friendship crumbling had me in tears.
hvAKuBM.jpg
 
Death Parade 1-3 Dub

I have an issue with Death Parade episode 3, in that it seemingly throws the rules of the series out the window when
both are allowed to reincarnate at the end
. If that's a possibility then why not
send both people from episode 1 into the void. You'd think even if Decim decided to change his verdict on who got reincarnated/voided after the wife's outburst that be changed to a double voided as neither deserved it
. I enjoyed episode 3 from a character/story perspective I'm just worried the precedence this sets for the rest of the show, especially if we continue to have these morally grey areas like episode 1 in terms of who gets reincarnated/voided.
 

Jex

Member
I've been keeping up, but I mean, the last 8 episodes have been mostly plot with very little ideas being expressed. I have to wonder what themes about love are being expressed behind all the shocking plot revelations that are being... well, revealed every week.
Sounds like someone should have watched Utena!
 
I've been keeping up, but I mean, the last 8 episodes have been mostly plot with very little ideas being expressed. I have to wonder what themes about love are being expressed behind all the shocking plot revelations that are being... well, revealed every week.

I don't really feel like this is true. The first three episodes were certainly heavily focused around the shocking plot revelations, but more recent episodes to me have felt much more focused around the themes, with plot revelations as a secondary thing, and mostly there in service of the show's themes.

Although I would say that rather than being about 'love', the show is more interested in exploring the idea of acceptance, and what leads to people not being accepted by society. Whether to seek the approval of society or to live the way you want to has been the most frequent idea put forth by the show, and a lot of the recurring lines (such as 'not backing down on love' or the trial scenes) all connect back to this basic idea, that you can either follow your own convictions or conform to society. So it's less so a show about love than it is a show about non-conformists willing to put themselves at the mercy of society for what they believe in. It's set in a school because the school setting is the most conformist setting possible, and while the idea of an 'exclusionary committee' that actually sits down and votes on who they're going to exclude is obviously a very in your face thing that's not even really a metaphor at that point, it's kind of keeping with Ikuhara's style pretty well. Of course, with Episode 8 the show also demonstrates how not everyone who is following their own convictions is doing so for the right reasons, and shows the way that you can have a completely warped version of what Kureha and Ginko want. The usage of lebsian relationships also further touches upon the idea of non-conformity, and addresses the general way in which certain groups are mistreated or ignored by society.

That's just one of the biggest elements of the show, but there's other stuff going on, too. I think Episode 9 really touches upon the 'desire' element which has cropped up a bit, too. Lulu's biggest crime had been her desire to become the favorite again, and Ginko's desires
lead to Sumika's death, and now, in a pretty literal metaphor, have manifested themselves in the form of Yurizono, who was the tool used to carry out Sumika's death (and also seemingly is the fucking devil)
. There's also other stuff which has been bubbling under the surface throughout the series, such as the unreliability of memory, characters holding onto the past too deeply, and having the willingness to sacrifice something of yourself in exchange for your love. The picture book, which was to me one of the stronger moments in the show so far, looks like it will have a lot to do with how the remaining three episodes play out.

In truth, I don't think that plot revelations are even one of the five biggest things the show has going for it at this point.
 
Yeah, if you go through even rough Google translations of Amazon reviews, you can tell that the people were pissed. They called it basically a callous cash grab and told people to play the mobile game instead. lol


.

When customers tell you to buy a game meant to grab cash from you over a handheld title, you know you fucked up... ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK
 

John Blade

Member
Hmmm. I dont know the quality of the manga but its a solidly depressing anime. I advise against marathoning it.

The anime will most likely be watch soon but from what I heard, I will most likely watch an episode per week while watch other anime. I think someone here ask what is my opinion about this anime but will say once I watch the anime (and maybe read the Manga). I like dark anime once a while but if this is very depressing like what other people say, man.....hope I don't get too depress once I finish watching it.
 
Death Parade 1-3 Dub

I have an issue with Death Parade episode 3, in that it seemingly throws the rules of the series out the window when
both are allowed to reincarnate at the end
. If that's a possibility then why not
send both people from episode 1 into the void. You'd think even if Decim decided to change his verdict on who got reincarnated/voided after the wife's outburst that be changed to a double voided as neither deserved it
. I enjoyed episode 3 from a character/story perspective I'm just worried the precedence this sets for the rest of the show, especially if we continue to have these morally grey areas like episode 1 in terms of who gets reincarnated/voided.

I don't think there was ever a stipulation that one had to go to the void and one had to be reincarnated.
 

Midonin

Member
Sailor Moon R 41-42 + Finalish Thoughts

R was a significant improvement over the first season. The villains were more sympathetic, the filler arc wasn't as bad as I was led to believe, and Chibiusa wasn't as annoying either. The plot still moves at a snail's pace, but there were plenty of interesting episodes in between. As for the finale, flashing lights aside, Wiseman was a pretty terrifying final villain, one who really felt like he could stand against Usagi and possibly win. Pretty heartwarming epilogue scene, too.

There's only one episode next week, but I've often heard S called the best season. Can't wait.
 

firehawk12

Subete no aware
When customers tell you to buy a game meant to grab cash from you over a handheld title, you know you fucked up... ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK
Pretty much. lol

I don't really feel like this is true. The first three episodes were certainly heavily focused around the shocking plot revelations, but more recent episodes to me have felt much more focused around the themes, with plot revelations as a secondary thing, and mostly there in service of the show's themes.

In truth, I don't think that plot revelations are even one of the five biggest things the show has going for it at this point.
I think for me, these are more ideas than they are themes. The distinction being that they don't feel fully formed to me.

You know, something as on the nose "Yuri Approved" should mean something. Whether you translate it literally or not. But the fact that this is a show where the majority of the characters are women who are supposed to either be in love or at least in lust with each other doesn't really amount to anything greater than the fact that this happens to be a world where human girls seem to fall in love with bear girls. Like, does all the suggestive imagery mean anything? Are we supposed to be challenged by the pseudo-erotic imagery of the first few episodes in any way? Question ourselves if we find it titillating?

If we are supposed to simply accept that queer relationships are normalized, like in dozens of other yaoi and yuri anime that exist, then who is this show supposed to be for? Is this a soap opera for lesbians, trying to show that - through the context of magic realism - lesbian relationships can be as complicated as straight relationships?

I can't really answer these questions about the basic presentation and premise of the show, since the show doesn't seem willing to offer any answers. The most I can say about the show at the moment is that at least its characters are more complicated than the ones in Sakura Trick.
 
Maria 09

That opening was pretty fucked up. The monk's breakdown at the end was pretty good though.

Yuribears 09

Lulu's betrayal strikes me as kind of weird, but I always wondered how she felt since Ginko didn't seem to care a whole lot for her.

I also watched a bunch of Gintama and will continue doing so since I lost everything

--------------------------

wVF8RHWl.jpg


I'm entering the weeb phase of my Vita career it seems.

There are other phases?
 

Shard

XBLAnnoyance
Sailor Moon R 41-42 + Finalish Thoughts

R was a significant improvement over the first season. The villains were more sympathetic, the filler arc wasn't as bad as I was led to believe, and Chibiusa wasn't as annoying either. The plot still moves at a snail's pace, but there were plenty of interesting episodes in between. As for the finale, flashing lights aside, Wiseman was a pretty terrifying final villain, one who really felt like he could stand against Usagi and possibly win. Pretty heartwarming epilogue scene, too.

There's only one episode next week, but I've often heard S called the best season. Can't wait.

The Sailor Moon anime is always going to move rather slowly on the plot due to the format.
 

Midonin

Member
The Sailor Moon anime is always going to move rather slowly on the plot due to the format.
I've seen plenty of Toei series and plenty of magical girl series, so I'm used to the pacing. It's more that it moves even slower compared to today's series. The entire team wasn't assembled until S1 was nearly over, while your modern Precure series can get a five girl team ready by episode 6, the two times they've done it.
 
Pretty much. lol


I think for me, these are more ideas than they are themes. The distinction being that they don't feel fully formed to me.

You know, something as on the nose "Yuri Approved" should mean something. Whether you translate it literally or not. But the fact that this is a show where the majority of the characters are women who are supposed to either be in love or at least in lust with each other doesn't really amount to anything greater than the fact that this happens to be a world where human girls seem to fall in love with bear girls. Like, does all the suggestive imagery mean anything? Are we supposed to be challenged by the pseudo-erotic imagery of the first few episodes in any way? Question ourselves if we find it titillating?

If we are supposed to simply accept that queer relationships are normalized, like in dozens of other yaoi and yuri anime that exist, then who is this show supposed to be for? Is this a soap opera for lesbians, trying to show that - through the context of magic realism - lesbian relationships can be as complicated as straight relationships?

I can't really answer these questions about the basic presentation and premise of the show, since the show doesn't seem willing to offer any answers. The most I can say about the show at the moment is that at least its characters are more complicated than the ones in Sakura Trick.

I don't know if all of the themes are fully realized yet, but there are also three episodes left in which to continue to explore them. I feel like judging the themes of an ongoing work can often be difficult, since it always remains a question of how the themes will continue to be explored, and of course there's always the possibility that you're leading yourself down a different path than the creators will wind up going. (I wasn't 100% sure if my reading of From the New World was just my own politics speaking or an active thing on the part of the show for quite some time because of this) So some of this depends on how the final episodes stick the landing.

But the most important thing for me is that the themes continue to be pushed forward, and if they do that than they may will be fully realized by the end of the show. Each episode has continued to bring new layers to the established ideas, so I feel like the show is actively trying to explore these ideas.

As far as the question of who the show is for, I suppose the simplest explanation is people who want to escape from conformity. I think the show, through its blend of magical realism, lesbian overtones, and character drama, is fundamentally speaking out to anyone who has ever been targeted by other people for being different. There's a reason that this show built the climax out of one of its episodes around Kureha being tormented by her classmates and made Ginko jumping into the fire and saving the letter the big fist pump moment to end the episode on. I think the show is trying to say to anyone who has been bullied, or left out, or treated differently from others (whether that's due to being homosexual, or just having no confidence, or being disabled, or whatever) and saying "it's okay, you don't have to conform to other people's standards, you can be yourself and there will still be someone who accepts you for that". By setting it in a school, and making the teacher complicit in the whole thing, the show is also giving a pretty strong condemnation of the way in which the education system facilitates this.

At the most basic level, I feel like that's who the show is for. It uses lesbians as the most basic hook because it's Ikuhara. It's not not about lesbians, but at the same time I think if you focus too much on that as being the setup, you miss everything else that's going on around it. The relationships between the girls are our entryway into a very different story, one that's bubbling beneath the surface, initially unseen, just as the invisible storm is not something that you initially see when you look at society as a whole.
 

firehawk12

Subete no aware
I hope you are being paid.
Honestly, these games are probably all better than The Order 1886, and people paid 60 bucks for that turd. lol

There are other phases?
I think my Japanese Vita game phase is almost over. Hopefully anyway!

I don't know if all of the themes are fully realized yet, but there are also three episodes left in which to continue to explore them. I feel like judging the themes of an ongoing work can often be difficult, since it always remains a question of how the themes will continue to be explored, and of course there's always the possibility that you're leading yourself down a different path than the creators will wind up going. (I wasn't 100% sure if my reading of From the New World was just my own politics speaking or an active thing on the part of the show for quite some time because of this) So some of this depends on how the final episodes stick the landing.

But the most important thing for me is that the themes continue to be pushed forward, and if they do that than they may will be fully realized by the end of the show. Each episode has continued to bring new layers to the established ideas, so I feel like the show is actively trying to explore these ideas.

As far as the question of who the show is for, I suppose the simplest explanation is people who want to escape from conformity. I think the show, through its blend of magical realism, lesbian overtones, and character drama, is fundamentally speaking out to anyone who has ever been targeted by other people for being different. There's a reason that this show built the climax out of one of its episodes around Kureha being tormented by her classmates and made Ginko jumping into the fire and saving the letter the big fist pump moment to end the episode on. I think the show is trying to say to anyone who has been bullied, or left out, or treated differently from others (whether that's due to being homosexual, or just having no confidence, or being disabled, or whatever) and saying "it's okay, you don't have to conform to other people's standards, you can be yourself and there will still be someone who accepts you for that". By setting it in a school, and making the teacher complicit in the whole thing, the show is also giving a pretty strong condemnation of the way in which the education system facilitates this.

At the most basic level, I feel like that's who the show is for. It uses lesbians as the most basic hook because it's Ikuhara. It's not not about lesbians, but at the same time I think if you focus too much on that as being the setup, you miss everything else that's going on around it. The relationships between the girls are our entryway into a very different story, one that's bubbling beneath the surface, initially unseen, just as the invisible storm is not something that you initially see when you look at society as a whole.
I think there's a distinction to be made about what happens in each episode and what the show is necessarily about.

Like, is the show about racism inasmuch as she blames bears for her mother's death when, at least based on episode 8, she could be the one who should be blamed for simply being born and coming in between her mother and the teacher? (No word on the father, either. :p) Is she supposed to learn something when it all unravels later on? If so, what? That you shouldn't blame people for bad things happening in your life?

Also, one of the reasons she's ostracized because all these bears in disguise want her. But what is that supposed to be saying about (sexual) desire? That it's wrong to be desired or wanted?

I just don't know what I could argue the show is about at the moment, because it doesn't seem willing to really show me. The same can't really be said about Utena, where its identity politics are very evident in the first episode.
 

Shard

XBLAnnoyance
I've seen plenty of Toei series and plenty of magical girl series, so I'm used to the pacing. It's more that it moves even slower compared to today's series. The entire team wasn't assembled until S1 was nearly over, while your modern Precure series can get a five girl team ready by episode 6, the two times they've done it.

Yea, that was a point of contention that I had with season one as well. It also moves slowly compared to the manga but it has the space to flesh out its cast.
 

PK Gaming

Member
I'm thinking about watching Mobile Suit Gundam 00.

What you all think?

It's a very mediocre anime with a few (and I mean few) moments interspersed throughout it that make it worth watching if you're a Gundam enthusiast. Oh and it has Ali al-Saachez, a.k.a the greatest Gundam character.

HhDckVh.jpg


No really, this character is incredible.
 
Idolmaster Xenoglossia 08


Typical beach episode with some exposition mixed in to give the episode some purpose other than fanservice. Pink mecha are bomb, why aren't there more!? Burned Iori got some laughs and that tan. The bonding between Haruka and Imber was hilarious. Imber has no shame!
 

Fbh

Member
I Started Watching Jojo Stardust Crusaders a few weeks ago and while I like the new cast and the whole deal with the "Stands" and the fact it feels like it has a higher budget.

Where the hell did all the posing go? Why is everyone just fighting and talking but not posing?.

In in chapter 20 or so and can only thing of 1-2 intances were someone made ridiculous poses.
I also miss SpeedWagon.

But it's still great
 

Mature

Member
Hyouka - 8-9

The classics club get recruited to solve the mystery in an unfinished mystery thriller film. They meet some of the people working on the film who are self-proclaimed mystery enthusiasts themselves, and they provide their own deductions on the outcome of the movie. No progress is really made and each of the students deductions have some sort of inconsistency or flaw as pointed out by the classics club.

This mystery feels a bit refreshing since it's not a mundane everyday experience and there's a little bit on the line for the well being of the film and students. I like how the classics club have sort of bloomed into the different aspects that are needed in a competent detective. Oreki, chief among them, works out the deductions, Fukube helps with his encyclopedic knowledge and memory, Ibara works in reasoning and talking out the problem, and Chitanda gets drunk on chocolates. And is curious, I guess.

Since this mystery is already at two episodes and not finished, it might be the longest one in the series so far. Interested to see if they decide to conclude it in a meaningful way.

 
I Started Watching Jojo Stardust Crusaders a few weeks ago and while I like the new cast and the whole deal with the "Stands" and the fact it feels like it has a higher budget.

Where the hell did all the posing go? Why is everyone just fighting and talking but not posing?.

In in chapter 20 or so and can only thing of 1-2 intances were someone made ridiculous poses.
I also miss SpeedWagon.

Posing kinda gets cut down in Part 3 but comes back in full force in Part 5 and beyond.

There is a lot of posing in the current Part 8, it's almost back to the not anatomically correct shit of part 1 and 2
 
Idolmaster Xenoglossia 09

Hal9Lzc.jpg

Why is your head so huge?

Iori continues to be the butt end of a joke. She has retained her tan from the past episode, don't usually see that. What did they do to AmiMami? This is so sad, AmiMami were so great in Idolmaster and they've turned the fun loving twins into some tragic story. Yet despite the emotional damage
of losing her sister to vanishing mecha
Ami still manages to become an idol that's constantly busy with concerts and interviews.
 

Rainy

Banned
The Idolmaster Cinderella Girls 8

Enjoyed this episode. Ranko is super cute! Wish they subbed some of the stuff he wrote down and the song Ranko sang at the end though. Regardless, I can't wait to see who they focus on next week!
 
Hyouka - 8-9

This mystery feels a bit refreshing since it's not a mundane everyday experience and there's a little bit on the line for the well being of the film and students. I like how the classics club have sort of bloomed into the different aspects that are needed in a competent detective. Oreki, chief among them, works out the deductions, Fukube helps with his encyclopedic knowledge and memory, Ibara works in reasoning and talking out the problem, and Chitanda gets drunk on chocolates. And is curious, I guess.

As you'll see, Chitanda is the most people-sensitive among the group.
 

Rhapsody

Banned
Watch the first season. Don't go any further than that.

Season 2 of Gundam 00 starts of strong but really falls off a cliff in the later half of the show.

And don't get me started on the movie.

Pretty much this. I haven't even attempted to watch the movie after how fast S2 went bad.

I'm still amazed hearing it's that much worse too. lol
http://i.imgur.com/wVF8RHWl.jpg

I'm entering the weeb phase of my Vita career it seems.

Team Bibi, you did well.
Although I heard the game itself wasn't that good
 

cajunator

Banned
World Break - 09

Fuck yeah all this glorious Chiaki Omigawa! It's enough to fuel me for the next year till her next role or another SYD OVA.

So much Chiaki. I really need to stop being lazy and watch this show.

Ange is about some nerd who couldn't get laid so he decided to create another world where he could play god and make strong* independent** women suck his dick 24/7. Ultimately he meets a woman who outright refuses him and he goes into a manrage spamming his zergs to force her to be his new Queen. However Tusk representing the jock, ends up NTRing the nerd as always. Nerds never win. #beta4eva

*bitchy
**insecure

Yall make this show sound so amazing. Like Code GEass blow your mind amazing. It cant possibly be can it?

OK, I'm new to this stuff guys and I feel I may be to old to be watching this stuff, but damn..., so go easy on me.


I recently bought SAO for Vita during the last sale and everyone said I had to watch the Anime before I play it, so I just finished Season 1 and most of season 2 and I have to say wow.... Powerful story lines, (yes, I'm a sucker for love stories) good humor, the homage to gamers was great and the characters overall were excellant. I think I have about 6 episodes left and I'm hungry now...

2 questions:
- will there be an SAO III?
- Are there any other series on Crunchyroll with the same depth of story (Love stories are appreciated) but also include action, homor and everything else that SAO has offered?

There are many shows with deeper stories because SAO has no love story in it, just a lust story. Its honestly really awful.
The manga author also wrote a more interesting story called Accel World which is actually in the same universe and was made into an anime too. The characterizations are much better in that.
As for what you are looking for, I think Log horizon is a much better show in the same vein.


This is relevant to my interests.

Thank you. I can't believe how much I'm enjoying SAO. I've never evern watched Anime before, there is only a couple episodes left and I'm going to have to dig into some of those other recomendations...

Thank you again!



Side question...


What is all the hate I see whenever SAO is brought up?

Because SAO is honestly bottom of the barrel anime.
I say that as a watcher of most bottom barrel anime too.

Tomorrows Blu-ray and DVD releases in the US for the month of 03/10/2015. Links lead to Amazon unless it's an exclusive.
Blu-ray

Blu-ray Import


DVD

Nice. Might have to collect Familiar of Zero since I dont detest Rie as much as I used to.
One might say I was enlightened to her cuteness. I shall forever hate Shana though.

Now now, let's educate this person and recommend him good anime.

Shows like G Gundam, Kino's Journey, Gunbuster, and Eureka Seven. Those sort of shows.

All of these are excellent.

Like I said before, although I've played hundreds of jrpgs over the past 20+ years of gaming and always love a great story, this is my first attempt to watch an anime series. I was shocking really engaged the entire time and was moved more than a grown man should at this stuff.


I finally finished the entire session so far, and I understand the 2nd half of season two drifting off a little bit from everything, but I still felt engaged throughout the entire way.


For me at least, it was a pretty emotional roller coaster and they still have a ton of room left to add to the story and follow a completely diffent path within the game world. I just really hope they can keep the emotional edge for future iteration and not stray too far away from the core story...

For now, I'll have to dig through some of the recomendations of other Anime out there. I've seen that Madoka mentioned twice now, so I may look there first.


EDIT: Medoka isn;t on Crunchyroll is it? Is there another way to watch it for free?

I think once youve seen more anime you will realize how juvenile and awful SAO is. but if you like it, you like it. I like some really terrible anime too.

wVF8RHWl.jpg


I'm entering the weeb phase of my Vita career it seems.

How do these games work? are they music/rhythm? RPGs? story based choice?
 
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